Archive for the ‘Finance Review’ Category

Tuesday: stock markets

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

Closing bell of the stock market:

Nikkei    -96.64    -1.12%    8,568.02
Topix  -18.31  -2.20% 828.62.
FTSE    +31.52    +0.74%    4,309.08
DAX    +75.09    +1.61%    4,729.91
CAC    +66.00    +2.07%    3,251.66
Dow    +359.61    +4.20%    8,924.14
NASDAQ    +81.55    +5.41%    1,589.89
S&P    +44.61    +5.14%    913.18
10yr Note    -1.7000    -0.671%    2.363%
NYMEX Crude Oil    -0.91    -2.04%    43.60
Gold    +6.20    +0.74%    842.70

On Tuesday Japanese stock indices closed with losses due to the apprehensions of the prolonged recession the results of which will be the fall of the profit of the largest producing companies and the representatives of the mining sector. The stocks of the Nippon Steel Corp. and JFE Holdings Inc., the largest steel producers, lost more than 4% after it had become known that the Toyota Motor Corp. was going to ask for the reduction of prices on the materials. Asahi Glass Co. and Nippon Electric Glass Co. became the leaders of the fall in the sector of glass production after the UBS AG had recommended the selling of the companies’ stocks due to the decrease in demand. Sony Corp. lost today 5.9% after the reduction of the Company’s goal rate by the analysts of the Credit Suisse Group by more than two times. It happened due to the reaction of the electronics producer, which was not quick enough, to the slowing of the economic growth rate.

On Tuesday European stock indices closed growing in spite of the serious quarterly losses. Goldman Sachs GS announced about its losses following the results of the fourth quarter in the amount of $4.97 per stock and this fact negatively affected the dynamics of the financial sector. The stocks of the oil-mining companies and the companies representing the materials sector consolidated their positions in the course of the oil prices growth due to the expectations of the reduction of the volumes of oil production at the tomorrow OPEC meeting by 2 mln barrels a day. The growth of the pharmaceutical sector caused by the hunt for the cheaper stocks also supported the market.
Siemens AG and BASF SE gained more than 2% due to the expectations of the further actions on the part of the FRS to stimulate the consumers’ and business demand in the world’s largest economy. The fall of prices on copper in London triggered the decrease of the stocks of the BHP Billiton Ltd. and Rio Tinto Group by more than 2%.

Drastic reduction of the rates by the FRS provoked rally on Wall Street despite the weak economic data.
Before the beginning of the session a string of the statistics data was released demonstrating the decrease of the consumers’ inflation in November by 1.7% (the record monthly reduction) while the economists have forecast -1.3%. The basic rate did not change in November and grew by 2% year-on-year.
The number of new buildings in November reduced to the record minimum of 616.000 year-on-year in November while the average forecast made up 700.000. The number of the building licenses also appeared to be on the historic minimum of 708.000 year-on-year (minimum since March 1975). Before the opening of the market the Goldman Sachs announced about the bigger than it had been expected losses in the amount of $2.1 bln or $4.97 per stock.
After the FOMC’s decision had been announced major indices continued their growth and finished the day in the area of the session maximums. FOMC made a decision to reduce the base rate of interest (FF rate) to the goal diapason from 0 to 0.25%. Deposit rate (DR) was reduced by 75 basic points to 0.5%. In the accompanying form of the FRS it is particularly pointed out that the Central Bank is going “to use all the means possible” to minimize the consequences of the crisis and the extremely low level of the rate of the federal funds will be preserved for “some time”. The FRS is going to keep purchasing agents’ liabilities secured by the mortgage bonds (MBS). Besides, in case of emergency it is ready to increase the purchases and is considering the possibility of purchasing long-term liabilities of the US Treasury.
At the beginning of 2009 the Term ABS Loan Facility plan will be introduced “to activate crediting of the households and small-scale business”. Apart from this there will be discussed the additional measures to use the balance of the FRS to support the credit markets.
Nasdaq occupied the leading positions supported by the growth of the stocks of the largest representatives of the technological sector which yesterday suffered the most serious losses, Microsoft in particular.
Meanwhile, another giant of the technological sector – IBM – supported the growth of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Interest in the stocks market traditionally negatively affected the situation on the market of the Treasury obligations. Oil suffered losses as well and according to the daily results decreased by 2.0%. In the middle of the session the growth of the “black gold” reached 4.5%.

Tuesday: stock markets

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

Weekly review of the currency market

Monday, December 15th, 2008

Dollar fell to the six weeks’ minimum against euro and suffered losses in reference to yen after the release of the regular string of the weak economic data from the USA and in the course of the price fall of the dollar-denominated credit resources, which became the reflection of the fall of demand on the eve of the holiday season. According to the data of the British association of bankers the three months’ dollar rate Libor decreased yesterday by 0.1 and reached the four years’ minimum of 2.00%.

The deficit of the trade balance in the USA grew in October to $57.2 bln compared to the expected $53.5 and $56.6 the month before. In November the prices on import decreased by 6.7% month/month and 4.4% year/year. The number of applications for the unemployment benefit reached the twenty-six years’ maximum of 573.000.

It is worth mentioning that the data of the retail sales are not much better either compared with what has been expected (-1.8% in November instead of -2% forecast and 2.8% record fall the month before).

Not taking into account the car sales in November the rate made up -1.6% instead of the forecast of -1.8% and -2.2% in October.

In November PPI decreased by 2.2% and the basic value of the core PPI made up 0.1% compared with 0.4% growth in October.

Euro was positively influenced by the release of the not that weak value of the business expectations index of German Research Institute ZEW. The indicator of the economic expectations of the German investors and experts made up -45.2 in December instead of -53.5 the month before. Additional support to the common currency was given

by the announcement of one of the members of the ECB management board Jurgen Stark which made the investors doubt that the ECB would aggressively reduce the rates. Swiss franc suffered losses against euro and yen after the central bank of the country reduced major interest rate to 0.5% - minimal Rate for the last 4 years.

Thus, in the nearest future one should expect the tendency of the American currency and taking into account the decrease of liquidity on the markets expecting holidays mind the speeding-up of the dollar fall.

On Friday the dollar recovered from the thirteen years’ minimum against yen due to the speculations that the US government is going to help the American automakers General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.

“We see the Treasury coming into play” Brian Kim, currency strategist of the Stamford branch of the UBS AG, says. “This fact supports the market”.

The announcement of the Treasury almost brings to nought the possibility that the large automaking companies will be declared bankrupts, which from the point of view of the investors can be regarded as a reason for the reserved optimism. The failure of the aid package to the automakers in the Senate caused the yen consolidation against the major currencies. The senators failed to find a compromise with the representatives of the automakers’ trade unions as for the reduction of the workers’ salaries that’s why there lacked 60 votes for the adoption of the $14 bln aid plan. After the proclaiming of the Senate’s decision, according to some announcements, the General Motors Corp. hired the lawyers and bankers to consider the issue about asking for the protection against the bankruptcy.

The recovery of the confidence on the markets may lead to the activation of the yen sales in the course of the recovery of interest to carry trades and cause the renewal of pressure on the dollar.

According to the weekly results, the reduction of the American currency made up 1.8% and against euro – 4.7%. Since the beginning of the current year the US dollar has lost 19% against yen, which became the most significant weakening of the American currency since 1987.

Pound renewed the historic minimum against euro at 89.97 pence after it had become known that the housing sales in Great Britain fell to the minimal level since 1978, the decrease of the industrial production turned out to be three times bigger in comparison with the economists’ forecasts and the recession in the country according to the British Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors went deeper.

“Pound can suffer serious losses against dollar as well” Thomas Kharr the leading currency strategist of the Singapore branch of the Standard Chartered Plc. believes. “The perspectives of the British economy look awful. We think that the Bank of England will have to continue reducing the rate drastically”. Pound, according to the expert’s point of view, may fall in the first quarter of the next year to $1.35 per dollar and the Bank of England will reduce the interest rate to 0.5%. Last week the Bank of England reduced the rate to 2% - the lowest level for the last 50 years. Market traders expect the reduction by 0.25 points in January 2009.

Digest of the stock market December 10th, 2008

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

Digest of the stock market December 10th, 2008:

Nikkei  +264.37 +3.20%  8,660.24
Topix   +16.61  +2,00%  834.55
FTSE    -13.98    -0.32%    4,367.28
DAX    +25.77    +0.54%    4,804.88
CAC 40     +22.51  +0.68%  3,320.31
Dow    +70.09    +0.81%    8,761.42
NASDAQ    +18.14    +1.17%    1,565.48
S&P    +10.57    +1.19%    899.24
10yr Note    +0.1500    +0.056%    2.684%
NYMEX Crude Oil    +1.45    +3.45%    43.52
Gold    +34.60    +4.47%    808.80

Japanese stock markets keep on growing. The investors were optimistic about unofficial announcements that the White House and the representatives of the Democratic Party had reached an agreement as for providing $15 bln of financial help to the car makers of the USA. The growth leaders still remain the companies of the real estate sector and cargo carriers.
After the announcement that the government of the country can provide Japanese developers suffering financial difficulties with credits, the rates of the country’s fourth largest builder Tokyo Land Corp. rose by 16%, those of the Japanese second largest developer Mitsubishi Estate Co. – by 7.6%. The trades were also successful for the Japanese cargo carriers. After the freight stochastics Baltic Dry Index grew by 1.2%, the stocks of the Japanese second largest sea carrier Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. increased by 10.4%, those of the Nippon Yusen KK – by 6.5%.
The trading session for such Japanese car makers as Honda Motor Corp. (+10.3%), Toyota Motor Co. (+6.6%) finished on the positive territory as well. According to the trades results of December 10th the Nikkei index grew by 264.37 points (+3.15%) – to 8660.24 points.

Institute of Economy and Social Research released the report saying that the decrease of the country’s economy from September to November exceeded expectations and made up 1%.
The growth of metal prices and the situation around the Rio Tinto supported the stocks of the mining companies. Rio Tinto announced that they planned to discharge 14 thousand of employees and cut expenses by $2.5 bln to cope with the financial crisis. Following this announcement the securities of the Rio Tinto rose by 20%, those of the BHPBilliton Ltd. – by 6.7%, those of Xstrata Plc. – by 6.6%.
Expectations of voting for the salvation plan of car makers in the US Congress to support the stocks of the European auto industry. Thus, the rates of the stocks of the German BMW grew by 2.3%, those of the French Peugeot Citroen – by 6.9%.
The securities of the French media group Vivendi SA (-3%) and British store chain selling the video games Game Group (-6.8%) negatively finished the session against the background of the news from the USA. Investors on the European stock markets were not optimistic about the announcement of the world’s second largest producer of the video games – the American Electronic Arts Inc. – as for the forecast reduction of the net profit and gain in 2009.

The stock indices on Wall Street finished the changeable trades of Wednesday’s session by the rates growth. The indices were supported by the announcement that the US government is ready to allocate the term credit in the amount of $15 bln to the concerns General Motors and Chrysler. Apart from allocating the credit, it is suggested to make the US government the largest owner of the stocks of the General Motors and Chrysler. In the nearest future the voting of the Congress for this issue is expected. It is worth mentioning that the Ford did not announce about the necessity of the urgent financial support. Nevertheless, they still asked the government for the $9 bln credit in case of the worsening of the financial rates of the company.
According to the session results, 8 out of 10 major economic sectors consolidated. The materials sector (+2.7%) and the power generating sector (+4.7 %) were at the top of the increase due to growth of the commodity prices.
The financial sector demonstrated the worst results (-0.8 %) among the sectors. The stocks of the American Express (-7.5%) appeared to be under the flow of suggestions after the reduction of their rating by the Citigroup Bank of America.
The consolidation of indices was supported by the weak corporative news. The world’s largest producer of the video games the Electronic Arts Company announced about the revision of its profit forecast in the direction of reduction. The Company’s stocks decreased by 13.8%. It is said in the Company that the preliminary data of the sales analysis demonstrated the reduction of demand for video games even despite the New Year sales and traditional boom of demand for new electronic products.
The office equipment retailer Office Depot announced about its plans to close 12 points of purchase in North America.
British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto (+18%) announced about its plans in the nearest future to cut 14 thousand working places. Besides, the Company is going to take its money out of some of the assets and cut the volume of quarter expenses in 2009 from $9 planned before to $4 bln.
The oil prices consolidated according to the results of today’s trades. Data about the crude oil stores turned out to be mixed: the oil stores grew less than the market analysts have expected while he petrol stores turned out to be higher than it has been expected. “Black gold” increased by 4.3% to $43.89 per barrel.

Tuesday: stock markets

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Closing bell of the stock market:

Nikkei +66.82 +0.8%  8,395.87
Topix +5.86 +0.7% 817.94
FTSE    +81.20    +1.89%    4,381.26
DAX    +63.23    +1.34%    4,779.11
CAC     +50.32  +1.55%     3,297.80
Dow    -242.85    -2.72%    8,691.33
NASDAQ    -24.40    -1.55%    1,547.34
S&P    -21.03    -2.31%    888.67
10yr Note    -0.6500    -0.238%    2.669%
NYMEX Crude Oil    -1.64    -3.75%    42.07
Gold    +4.90    +0.64%    774.20

On Tuesday Japanese major indices finished the session growing. The indices were supported by the expectations of the investors that the elected US Barack Obama will realize the plan to stimulate the American economy which in its turn will support the economies of other countries. Against this background the securities of some companies of the financial sector went up including the Japanese largest bank Mitsubishi UFJ whose rates rose by 6.5%.
The growth of oil and metal prices supported the stocks of energy and mining companies. The stocks of the copper producer Nippon Mining added 5.8% and the rates of the oil company Inpex Corp. rose by 7.1%. The producer of the game devices Nintendo announced that its sales in advance of the Thanksgiving Day in the USA grew more than twice. Against this background the price of the Nintendo’s securities increased by 4.2%. The stocks of the sea carrier Nippon Yusen went up by 6% against the cost growth of the cargo transportation for the first time during the last two weeks.

European major indices finished Tuesday’s session growing. The investors expect that the measures taken by the governments of the countries to support economies will lead to the positive results.
Besides, the indices were supported by the economic data. The index of the business expectations in December 2008 released today in comparison with November 2008 grew by 8.3 points and made up minus 45.2 points. Meanwhile, the analysts have expected the rate of this index at the level of minus 55 points.
The price of the stocks of the retail company Pinault Printemps Redoute SA owning such trademarks as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Puma grew by 12%, those of the retail operator of the store chain of the British Home Retail Group – by 5.9%, and those of the largest European retailer Carrefour SA – by 4%. The stocks of the German concern Daimler AG gained 4.4%, those of the French second largest Renault SA – by 2.2%, those of the Italian largest car maker Fiat SpA – by 4.8%.
Today national indices grew on 15 out of 18 West European stock markets.

Major indices on Wall Street finished Tuesday’s unstable session growing. All the ten major economic sectors finished the session below zero mark (except the materials sector).
The moods of the investors were negatively influenced by the forecasts of the profit decrease of the American corporations Texas Instruments and FedEx which can become the next victims of the financial crisis.
The Congress keeps solving the issue about financial help to the car makers. The investors are worried that in case of the negative decision of the government “the big three” will have to reduce the working places to cut the expenses.
The investors’ agitation caused the growth of prices on the treasury bonds, which in its turn caused the fall of the profitability of the latter.
FedEx Corp reduced the profit forecast for 2009. The stocks of the company went 14% cheaper. American retail chain Wal-Mart (-$1.73) will pay $54.25 mln to settle down the class action of the Company’s employees.
American producer of the semi-conductors Texas Instruments Inc. (+$0.72) announced that I the IV quarter of 2008 the volume of sales might make up $2.3-2.5 bln instead of $3.07 bln forecast before.
As for the economic statistics which influenced the dynamics of the trading session it is necessary to poit out the release of the data as for number of the non-consummate deals of the housing sales which in October reduced less than it had been expected. The value of the rate made up -0.7%.

Monday: Stock Markets

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Closing bell of the stock market:
Nikkei 225  -115.05 -1.40% 8,397.22
Topix - 7.35 -0.90% 827.47
FTSE    -222.52    -5.19%    4,065.49
DAX    -274.65    -5.88%    4,394.79
CAC    -182.25    -5.59%    3,080.43
Dow    -679.95    -7.70%    8,149.09
NASDAQ    -137.50    -8.95%    1,398.07
S&P    -80.05    -8.93%    816.19
10yr Note    -2.3800    -0.805%    2.719%
NYMEX Crude Oil    -5.15    -9.46%    49.28
Gold    -42.20    -5.15%    776.80

On Monday Japanese stock markets closed with losses due to the apprehensions of losses growth because of the not getting back the credits and unemployment growth. This happened after the bankruptcy of the house building company Morimoto Co. has lead the general number of bankruptcies among the companies whose stocks trade on the stock markets of the country to the postwar record. The stocks of the Mitsubishi Estate Co. – Japanese second largest developer – fell by 5.6%. Japan General Estate Co. collapsed by 14% after the toughening of the budget has made the company to revise the number of vacancies. The stocks of the country’s largest oil-gas company Inpex Corp. lost 4.4% after the announcement about the record fall of the production activity in China which has provoked the apprehensions as for the further reduction of demand for the raw materials. According to the Department of Labor’s data, in October for the first time during this year the reduction of the salaries was observed. Besides, it has become known that the whole string of the companies, namely Toyota Motor Corp. and Sharp Corp., are planning the reduction of the staff. The stocks of the Sanyo Electric Co., the world’s largest accumulators producer, skyrocketed by 8.6% after the Kyodo News’ announcement that the Panasonic Corp. may buy a part of the Company, the controlling interest of which is owned by the investors, the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. being at the top of the list.

On Monday European stock markets suffered losses as well. The record fall of activity in Eurozone and China’s industrial sectors became one more signal of the deepening of the world’s economy recession. The stocks of the ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel producer, collapsed by 12%, and those of the British bank Barclays Plc. fell by 6.7% after the announcement about the fall of housing prices in Great Britain to the level of January 2006. The stocks of the BP Plc. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc., the regions largest oil companies, fell by more than 5% after the oil price has reduced to $50 per barrel. The stocks of the BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s largest mining company, lost 9%, and those of its competitor Rio Tinto Group collapsed by 11% in the course of the reduction of metal prices. The copper supposed to be delivered in March went 1.3% cheaper to $1.6285 per pound.

The trading session on the American stock market closed by a serious reduction of indices. Indices started the first day of December negatively due to the active sales in the goods and commodities sector and weak economic data.
Business activity index in the industrial sector (Nov mfg ISM) in November is 36.2 against 38.9, and the expenses on the building fell by 1.2% in October.
The goods and commodities sector was pressed by the sales on the markets of oil (-6.6% to $50.88 per barrel) and gold (-5.0% to $775.50 per ounce). The oil price collapsed after last week the OPEC made a decision to retain the volumes of the oil production unchanged. In the course of his speech the chairman of the FRS Ben Bernanke the stock indices renewed the session minimums.
The head of the US central bank announced that “the further reduction of the interest rate from the present level of 1% is very likely. But the possibilities to conduct the usual policy of interest rates are restricted”.

Monday: currency market

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

The following data were published:
00:01    Great Britain    Index of housing prices Rightmove, year/year    September    -7.1%
00:01    Great Britain    Index of housing prices Rightmove, month/month   October    -2.9%
00:30    Australia    Retail sales    3 quarter    0.1%
10:00    Е15    Balance of trade excluding season fluctuations, bln    September    5.6
10:00    Е15    Balance of trade including season fluctuations, bln    September    5.7
13:30    USA    Industry Index FRS New York    November    -25.4
14:15    USA Industrial production    October    1.3%
14:15    USA    Capacity utilization    October    76.4

Yen has suffered losses against dollar and euro in the course of the revival of the stock indices in the USA which caused the retardation of the rates of carry trades curtailing. The meeting of the heads of the “Great 20”, which took place at weekends in Washington, failed to catalyze the end of the current financial crisis and activation of the increase of the highly risky assets volumes by the investors. Concluding declaration of the summit makes one doubt about the real importance of the meeting: the document limits itself to the good resolves and noncommittal slogans.
The data about the industrial production whose volumes in October grew by 1.3% against 2.8% fall in September failed to support the dollar. The analysts have expected the reduction of the rate by 0.2%.
The pound has become the leader of growth against the dollar among the major currencies since the investors decided that the first fall of the GBP/USD for 6.5 years is unlikely to be very long.
Euro has been supported by the data release of the EU’s trading balance which, according to September’s results, had surplus in the amount of €5.7 bln against the deficit the month before.
EUR/USD having begun the session in the area of $1.2535, the pair managed to show session maximums at   $1.2740. After that it corrected itself to $1.2650, where it finished Monday trading session.
GBP/USD according to the session results, the pound consolidated more than 300 points against dollar. Having begun the session in the area of $1.4660, the pair managed to show confident growth and finished the trading in the area of $1.4975.
USD/JPY the pair traded rather unsteadily and in accordance with the session results, yen lost about 40 points against the dollar. The rate showed the session minimums in the area of Y95.90. After that the session maximum was set at Y97.56. Further the rate kept trading in terms of the levels achieved.
Significant interest today will be caused by the release of the index of the consumers’ prices in October in Great Britain at 09:30 GMT.
In the afternoon there will be released a string of data concerning the USA. At 13:30 GMT there will be released the index of the producers’ prices in October. At 14:00GMT the report of the USA Treasury about the international capital flows into American assets. At 17:00GMT there will be released November NAHB Housing Market Index. At 21:45 GMT New Zealand index of the producers’ prices will be released and at 23:50 GMT – release of Japanese activity index.

Weekly review of the stock market

Monday, November 17th, 2008

On Friday Asian stock indices managed to reduce the losses suffered during the week. The producers of the basic materials consolidated their positions in the course of the revival of prices on oil and metals – the investors used the opportunity to buy cheap stocks to the fullest extent.
One of the growth leaders became BHP Billiton Ltd. due to the revival of prices on oil, nickel and zinc.
Inpex Corp. gained 9.2% in price after the Company has won the contest to exploit Indonesian oil field. United Microelectronics Corp., one of the world’s largest microchips producers, grew 6.9% after the announcement of a possible purchase of the Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. On Friday MSCI Asia Pacific Index grew 0.7% to 82.89, thus finishing the three-day’ fall by 8.8%. The growth leader became the power-generating sector. In the middle of the week stock indices revived the two-week minimums after the forecasts released of the largest representatives of the retail trading sector in the USA strengthened the investors’ confidence that the world’s largest economy has been suffering recession.

By the end of the week European stock indices have somehow consolidated their positions. Nevertheless, according to the weekly results, they reduced.
On Friday Stoxx 600 index grew by 0.8% to 205.75, thus finishing the week by 6.3% losses. The representatives of the oil, mining and insurance sectors became the leaders of the market revival.
The reduction of oil prices negatively influenced the power-generating sector, while the technological segment suffered losses after Nokia’s warning in reference to the reduction of mobile phones sales. The sales leaders, according to the weekly results, became the representatives of the banking sector and the sector of the basic materials after it has become known that German economy suffers the most significant recession for the last 12 years and the OECD released the forecast in accordance with which global economic recession is expected.

USA’s stock indices have been suffering losses the second week running after the record fall of the retail sales and a low demand for the mobile phones have caused the apprehensions as for the deepening of recession.
The stocks of the Sears Holdings Corp. and Office Depot Inc. collapsed more than 11% after the announcement about the fall of the retail sales by 2.8% last month. Only Friday the stocks of the Qualcomm Inc., the largest producer of the mobile phones chips and Motorola Inc. lost more than 3% after the warning by Nokia in reference to the mobile phones sales.
Standard & Poor’s 500m leveled the results of yesterday’s 7% rally and finishes the week with 4% losses. Since the beginning of the year S&P 500 has already lost about 40%. Certain support to the market was provided by the announcement of the Secretary of the US Treasury Henry Paulson that the government would be able to get the profit buying the portfolios of the banks as well as $700 bln would be enough to overcome the financial crisis.

Thursday: Currency Market

Friday, November 14th, 2008

The following data were published:
04:30    Japan     Release of industrial products, year/year    September    0.2%
04:30    Japan     Release of industrial products September 1.1%
07:00    Germany     GDP, preliminary esteem, including season factors, year/year    3 quarter    0.8%
07:00      Germany     GDP, preliminary esteem 3 quarter    -0.5%
07:00    Germany     GDP, preliminary esteem, including season factors, year/year    3 quarter    1.3%
13:30    USA   A number of applications for unemployment benefit    week up to 08.11    516К
13:30    Canada     Trading balance, bln    September    4.5
13:30    USA    Import, bln    September    211.9
13:30    USA    Export, bln    September   155,4
13:30    USA   Trading balance, bln    September    -56.5
19:00    USA    Federal budget    October    -237.2
21:30    USA    Monetary offer  M2, bln        +0.2
The speculations about the possible interventions by the other central banks (namely, the Bank of Japan) following the Reserve Bank of Australia which yesterday made an intervention on the currency market in order to restrict further reduction of the national currency pressed the yen in the morning. Later the sales of yen activated against the background of the growth of the USA’s major stock indices. The growth of indices and expectations of the possible interventions raised the investors’ inclination to risk. As a result, there activated the increase of the highly profitable assets which are financed by the cheap Japanese credits.
According to the session results euro consolidated against euro. Despite the expectations of the reduction of the rate by the ECB, euro was supported against the American currency by the reduction of the yen against the common currency. On the other hand, dollar was pressed by the release of the data of the state budget of the USA the deficit of which grew more than four times in October in comparison with the analogous period of the previous year. And although the deficit growth has been expected in connection with the beginning of the realization of Paulson’s plan to stabilize the stock markets, the four-fold deficit increase made for yesterday’s dollar fall.  The dollar’s fall against pound was restricted by the expectations of the further rate reduction by the Bank of England. As a result, the pound only managed to compensate a part of yesterday’s losses against the dollar.
EUR/USD having begun trading in $1.4960 area, the rate has managed to set session minimums at the level of $1.2384 after which it consolidated above $1.2800 mark. The pair finished Thursday’s trading session at the level of $1.2769.
GBP/USD having begun the session in $1.4960 area, the rate has renewed the six-year minimums ($1.4556), the rate as a result of the dollar and yen reduction it managed to compensate the majority of its daily losses. The pair finished Thursday’s trading at the level of $1.4836.
USD/JPY according to the session results, yen lost more than 250 points. Having begun the session in the area of Y95.00, the pair finished the session at the level of Y97.69.
The main events of Friday will be presented by the data of inflation in Germany (07:00 GMT) and ЕС (10:00 GMT), import prices and retail sales in the USA (13:30 GMT).

Wednesday: stock markets

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

Closing bell of the stock market:

Nikkei -113.79 -1.30% 8,695.51
Topix -14.13 -1.60% 875.23
FTSE    -76.99    -1.81%    4,169.70
DAX    -140.78    -2.96%    4,620.80
CAC    -102.45    -3.07%    3,233.96
Dow    -410.67    -4.72%    8,283.29
NASDAQ    -81.69    -5.17%    1,499.21
S&P    -46.59    -5.18%    852.36
10yr Note    -0.9000    -0.240%    3.665%
NYMEX Crude Oil    -3.23    -5.44%    56.10
Gold    -14.50    -1.98%    718.30
Japanese stock indices have suffered losses the second day running after the fall of oil prices to 20-month minimum and the reduction of prices on other basic materials became the evidence of deepening of the world economy recession. The stocks of the Inpex Corp. – Japanese largest electric company – fell by 5.4% after the reduction of the profit forecast due to the fall of oil prices. The stocks of the Mitsubishi Corp. – more than a half of whose profit is generated by the sales of basic materials – fell by 8.1% after the fall of prices on copper to the 3-year minimum. The stocks of Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. Grew by 4.8% after the oil prices have fallen below $60 level, which positively influences the expenses of the Company. The stocks of the mobile operator Softbank Corp. skyrocketed by 16% after Chinese departments of the Alibaba.com Ltd. Company has announced about a sudden growth of the quarterly revenue.

The reduction of prices on raw materials triggered the stocks sales of the representatives of the extractive and oil industries.  Swiss Life Holding’s stocks collapsed by 20% after the Company has reconsidered (with reduction) its profit forecast. The stocks of the BHP Billiton Ltd. – the world largest mining company – fell by 6.9% because of the reduction of copper prices and BG Group Plc. lost 5.4% after the oil of the brent mark has reduced to $57 per barrel.
ArcelorMittal fell by 9.6%. Citigroup Inc. Recommended selling of the stocks of the world largest steel producer due to the Company’s debts and the fall of the world demand for steel.
Credit Suisse Group AG and Deutsche Bank AG became the sales leaders in the banking sector losing at least 7% after the Secretary of the US Treasury Henry Paulson has announced about the closing of the purchasing of the troubled assets secured by the mortgages.

The US largest retail net of home electronics Best Buy worsened the forecast of profit and income remarking the preserving weakness of the consumers’ activity on the eve of the holidays season. The company reduced its profit forecast per stock according to the results of financial year 2009 (ends in February) to $2.30-$2.90 in comparison with the previous mark $3.25-$3.40 and experts’ expectations $3.02. Last year the Best Buy’s profit made up $3.18 per stock. The Best Buy remarks that according to the yearly results the sales may reduce by 1% -8%. In the previous forecast there has been observed the rate growth by 2%-3%. Operator of the department stores net Macy’s announced about quarterly losses and the fall of sales by 7%. This week their data will present Wal-Mart (Thursday) and JC Penney (Friday). By the end of the session the Nasdaq has renewed session minimums while the Dow and S&P 500 approached their today’s worth rates.
The representatives of the financial and technological sectors were under serious pressure. In the financial sector one should specially stress the sales in the segment of industrial (-31.6%) and retail REIT (-10.1%) investment funds in real estate. Among the representatives of the technological sector the largest losses were suffered by the group of the entertainment software producers (-10.3%) and the segment of electronic branch of industry services (-6.2%).
Google became one of the sales leaders as a component of the Nasdaq. The stocks of the search engine have reached the third-year minimum. Several brokers’ companies reduced the Google’s profit forecasts at once due to the apprehensions that global financial crisis will negatively influence the profit of online advertisement sales.

Among not numerous leaders one should point out General Motors and Ford due to the rumors about the possible adoption of the law, according to which the automobile industry of the USA will get credits in the amount of $25 bln. By the end of the year the losses of Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 have already made up 38.8%, 44.3% and 43.1%, respectively. Dow, Nasdaq and  S&P 500 are by 40.7%, 70.3%, and 44.9% lower their historic maximums.